Rajon Rondo says he’ll return before All-Star break

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, out since last February when he required surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, told reporters on Friday that he will return to the court either this month or next, sometime prior to the All-Star break. The Celtics‘ final game of the half is on Feb. 12.

“It may be this month, next month,” Rondo told reporters at a Friday shootaround, prior to the Celtics‘ contest against the Golden State Warriors. “It’ll be before All-Star Break.”

According to the Boston Globe, Rondo suggested that he feels significantly better on the court since he first began full-contact practice in December, but he acknowledged that he is not yet in basketball shape. According to the Globe, he remained open to the possibility of an assignment in the NBA Development League before returning to the Celtics lineup.

“I feel more confident, stronger, more explosive. What I’m doing in the weight room, it’s productive,” Rondo told the Globe. “[But] I’m just trying to get back into shape. … I haven’t played ball in 12 months. You can do all the cardio, treadmill, running you want, it’s still different from basketball shape.”

Rondo was averaging 13.7 points, 11.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds a game at the time of his injury last season, the third straight year in which he averaged 11 or more assists a night. In his absence, the Celtics are averaging 19.3 assists per game, 27th among the 30 teams in the NBA.